What kind of trouble would you cause with a Formula 1 car?

David S.
By David S. Wallens
Nov 10, 2022 | Formula 1, Benetton B191, Michael Schumacher, Nelson Piquet

Photography courtesy RM Sotheby's

This is not just any old F1 car but the 1991 Benetton B191 once raced by Nelson Piquet and Michael Schumacher.

Price is upon request–meaning we can’t afford it–but, if we could, what should we do with it? Hang it on a wall? A Mod autocross? Open class at the $2000 Challenge? Throw a temp tag on it and cruise around town?

Discuss.

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Comments
Driven5
Driven5 UberDork
11/10/22 10:31 a.m.

Boring answer: Vintage racing. I don't think it would be particularly fun at autox speeds, I can only imagine that the novelty of driving on the street would wear off quite quickly, and I'm not a good enough driver to be able to do anything truly competitive with it.

Fantasy answer: Drivetrain donor for a crazy production car/truck based build.

calteg
calteg SuperDork
11/10/22 10:32 a.m.

Probably go flying backwards off road/track because I'm too chicken to get up to speeds where the aero is effective.

GameboyRMH
GameboyRMH GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
11/10/22 10:32 a.m.

Realistically, if you were given an F1 car, you should only use it for autocross. This will keep wear to a minimum since the first required short-interval engine rebuild would cost an easy 5, maybe 6 digits and nothing else on the car is affordable either. The relatively low speeds and ample runoff room will also give you a sporting chance of not completely wrecking the car on the first minor driving mistake.

Throwing a temp tag on it and cruising around town may be worth doing once if legally possible cheeky

On an unlimited budget you could do track days and compete in historic F1, but then you wouldn't have trouble affording the car in the first place...

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
11/10/22 10:46 a.m.

I'd go to Taco Bell and make them regret having ignored the time I showed up in a Ferrari

Ian F (Forum Supporter)
Ian F (Forum Supporter) MegaDork
11/10/22 10:48 a.m.

In reply to GameboyRMH :

What he said. Plus, a succession of various open wheel cars to build up enough skills so I could actually drive it.  My general understanding is F1 cars - even from this era - are incomprehensibly hard to drive. 

More realistically, if I could afford to buy and own this car, I could also afford to hire a driver already skilled enough to drive it in vintage races. 

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
11/10/22 11:01 a.m.

In reply to Ian F (Forum Supporter) :

What's the point in buying the car and then paying someone else to drive it?

I'd get it on track, because that it was it is built to do. Anything else would be rendering it pointless.

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
11/10/22 11:11 a.m.
JG Pasterjak said:

I'd go to Taco Bell and make them regret having ignored the time I showed up in a Ferrari

The one out by you or the one closer to me? (Or both?)

Kubotai
Kubotai New Reader
11/10/22 11:16 a.m.

I think vintage racing is the only real option.  It's too wide and long to have much fun with at an auto-x and nobody is going to let you into a track day with it.  You won't make it past the first speed bump on the street (but if I could get to Taco Bell without hitting a speed bump then I'd do the JG thing).  

Honestly, as cool as it is, there are a lot of other cars for a lot less money that I would have a lot more fun with.  Which turns out to be really convenient for me because I certainly can't afford that thing.

wspohn
wspohn SuperDork
11/10/22 11:17 a.m.

I would do exactly one thing with it.

I'd keep it in the garage along with several lawn chairs and a hotplate (yeah, OK, and a corkscrew).

I would invite my car nut buddies over, turn on the hotplate and slowly drip drops of Castrol R on it and inhale the heavenly smell while revving the car up and down and mentally channeling Moss, or Fangio, or Stewart (all of whom I have shared a track with in vintage events).

If the car ever refused to start, I could make do with a couple of LPs I own of 1950s race cars on track and on dyno (the H16 BRM makes you want to run for cover!  Sounds like a demented chainsaw)

jimbob_racing
jimbob_racing SuperDork
11/10/22 11:24 a.m.

Fantasy answer.

If billionaire Tony Stark can jump into his vintage formula car at the Monaco Historics and go racing, so can we!

Actual answer. 

This car is a work of art and historically significant. Plus I do not possess the skills to drive this car so instead I'd get rid of all my dining room furniture and park it right inside my house where I could see it every day and lovingly wipe it down with all cotton rags coated with Griots Quick Detailer.

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